Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner

<<Go Back

Questions And Answers

Q: When I returned home the other night I caught my wife letting another man try my William Joseph pack, how should I handle this situation?

A: "Wow, this is a difficult problem indeed. First you must make it clear to her the pain you are experiencing and that this breach of trust cannot be tolerated. We are usually firm advocates of forgiveness but in this case, simply make sure none of your other fishing equipment has been soiled. Then go to your mother"s for a few days to sort out your feelings."

Q: I have a pack without a frame and seams to hold up, why is a frame important?

A: Poly carbonate is pound for pound some of the strongest material in the universe. It is molded into an "I"Beam shape," which provides a phenomenal amount of longitudinal stiffness and allows for a great deal of torsional flex as well. It is the closest replication of the human spine we have found.

Q: How do you care/feed your pack?

A: Just because you now own the toughest pack ever made, it does not mean you should neglect it. Like with all equipment, salt, mud and dirt will accelerate the aging process, wear out zippers and will cause the fabrics to be less supple and quiet. Even though we will fix these obvious abuses for you at no charge, that is not going to help you in the field if something fails.

Even though our warranty is the best there is, it does not cover air lifting a seamstress and a sewing machine to your camp. However, if you happen to have a very long extension cord (say 5 miles long) we will discuss the possibilities.With this in mind, when the season is over, place your pack in the tub with warm water and some sent free laundry detergent and let it soak for a while. Rinse it and hang it upside down so it can air dry. This is the perfect time to inspect the pack for any lose straps or signs of problems.DO NOT PLACE YOUR PACK IN THE WASHING MACHINE OR THE DRYER.Your William Joseph pack has an extremely honed survival instinct, and believe us"in a fight the washer will lose every time.

Q: Where should I store my pack?

A: After each time the pack is used, turn it upside down and shake out all the crumbs and other remnants of all things edible. During a long cold winter, mice will smell those little morsels. (FYI, we only have one documented case were a mouse has unzipped the pack to enter.) Once again any holes chewed in the pack will be fixed for free, but we require you to track down the vermin that caused the damage and pull out all of his teeth and send them to us, which can be quite time consuming.

Q: How do I fit a pack without an internal frame?

A: Because these packs are designed to be smaller in capacity they are naturally shorter and therefore must be adjusted correctly on your back to perform as designed. The thing to remember here is that women and men carry weight differently: A woman"s center of gravity is more towards their abdomen, while a man"s is up towards the shoulder blade region. So if you are female loosen the shoulder straps so that the main body of the pack is close to the center of your back. If you are male then pull the shoulder straps so the pack rest about 2 to 3 inches below your shoulders. This adjustment will allow for good upright posture and the ability to carry more weight comfortably. Please note: everyone is different and these are simply guidelines, so don"t cave into peer pressure and follow them exactly. A slight variance is fine if it makes things more comfortable.

Next is the hip belt. In a perfect world (ours anyway) once you positioned the shoulder straps, the waist belt should be at roughly the center of your hips. However, if you have a very long or very short torso, this is not always possible. If you have a difficult time getting the hip belt in position, make a small adjustment on the shoulder straps to either raise the belt or lower it. Remember, day packs carry less than internal frame packs, so a little compromise would not hurt in this situation. Your William Joseph pack will still outperform any other pack on the market in this category.

Q: How do I clean my hydration bladder?

A: After each use dump out any water left over and leave the lid open so the bag can air out. The next time you use the bladder, it needs to be cleaned. This can be done by a small amount of bleach. Swish it around then thoroughly rinse the bag with hot water. The bleach is basically nothing more than chlorine and will kill any bacteria that has begun to develop. You can also fill the bag with boiling water. Note: if you use the boiling water technique, please do so under your wife"s supervision, as we do not want you to burn your trigger finger.

If the Mrs. will not let you use the stove fill the bag and throw it in the microwave for a about 60 seconds this should do the trick. However watch it carefully; we will not be responsible for any hydrogen bombs going off.